Get Thy Bearings

The track was recorded for The Hurdy Gurdy Man during Donovan late 1960s London sessions with producer Mickie Most. The recording features a jazz inflected arrangement with Harold McNair on flute and other session musicians around Donovan vocal and guitar. Released on The Hurdy Gurdy Man in 1968, it showed Donovan moving beyond folk pop into more expansive studio arrangements. The song became a notable album cut from the same period that produced Hurdy Gurdy Man and Jennifer Juniper. It remains a key deep cut from Donovan psychedelic period and gained later recognition through cover versions and samples. The track was covered by King Crimson in early live performances and sampled by later hip hop artists.